The French herbals giant has gained the right to sell the proprietary ‘Aronox’ extract globally except Poland, Russia, Spain, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
It recently signed a licencing agreement with global cocoa giant Barry Callebaut to market cocoa extracts and CEO Olivier Rigaud told us Aronox “will become another pillar in Naturex’s cardiovascular product offer.”
“Our plan involves a global launch, specifically targeting dynamic markets like America and Europe,” Rigaud said.
In the literature
The antioxidant has been used in seven clinical trials showing cardiovascular and blood flow benefits although no claims are approved as yet in the European Union under the nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR).
It rests on a long list of about 2000+ botanical claim dossiers that are awaiting scientific efficacy assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) under the NHCR.
Rigaud noted “We plan to build on this strong science foundation to conduct our own studies and demonstrate Aronia’s strong health benefits even more clearly.”
Naturex said polyphenol-rich aronia, commonly called black chokeberry, had indicated potential in “anti-inflammation, blood glucose management and improved blood flow which could positively impact vision, cognitive performance and muscle oxygenation and recovery.”
It has full access to Adamed's research files on the nutrient.
The most studied form of chokeberry is Aronia melanocarpa (black berries), but other forms of the berry exits, including Aronia arbutifolia (red berries) and Aronia prunifolia (purple berries).
Aronia berries are grown extensively across Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia. According to the Agronomy Institute opened at Orkney College in the Scottish Isles, use of the berry was developed for enhancing the diets of Russian astronauts.
Open innovation
The deal falls under Naturex’s Ingenium open innovation platform that seeks to reduce time-to-market for manufacturers utilising its ingredients.
Under the Ingenium initiative, a green extraction technology by Mazza Innovation had been accessed.
“Of course, we do not intend to stop here and will be announcing further initiatives in the near future,” said Rigaud.
Naturex shares were trading at €73.18 today. The firm had turnover of about €400m in 2015, making it the world's largest botanical extracts player.